The Europeanization of national knowledge regimes

Decision-making in the European Union is often characterized as technocratic and depoliticized. But has European integration also increased the role of experts and expertise in national policy-making? The chapter addresses this issue by developing a theoretical argument about the interaction between the ‘knowledge regimes’ at the European and national levels. It argues that national institutions for the provision of knowledge and advice may adapt to the knowledge architecture at the EU level, through pressure from EU-level institutions, imitation and expert networks. Yet, there are also mechanisms that work towards continued variation, such as institutional complementarities and path dependence. The chapter discusses mechanisms of adaptation or continued divergence within four institutional sites: expert agencies; advisory bodies and consultation mechanisms; parliamentary expertise; and research and education policy and institutions.